Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Department: Information Technology

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: On Site Required

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

Mason's Information Technology Services (ITS) organization provides information technology resources, systems, services, tools, and training to the university community. ITS's mission is to advance Mason’s strategic goals, support learning, enable scholarly endeavors, and improve institutional management by effectively leveraging the resources of ITS's supporting groups.

About the Position:

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) plays a central role in George Mason University’s transformation toward a more agile, secure, and student-centered digital environment. The CTO will guide the modernization of systems, champion emerging technologies (including AI and cloud platforms), and ensure operational excellence across all technology domains.

Responsibilities:

Supervision & Oversight

• Applies the strategies set forth by the Vice President and define and execute the tactics for the functional units with guidance from the Vice President and other senior administrators. Oversees, guides, and delegates work to functional unit leaders;
• Serves, mentors, trains, and develops functional leads and the entire CTO team;
• Oversees development, mentoring, and training of fiscal administrators and other leaders within the divisions on fiscal, operational, and administrative processes and procedures;
• Fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement;
• Promotes professional development and succession planning;
• Defines and monitors KPIs for enterprise systems, architecture, and infrastructure;
• Leads continuous improvement initiatives to enhance system performance, user experience, and operational efficiency; and
• In conjunction with key stakeholders, oversees staffing levels, competency, consistency, and performance of each functional unit. Ensures that staff are adequately trained, developed, and evaluated, and that all units are high-performing and meeting the needs of faculty and students.

The CTO has ultimate accountability for the following departments within the unit:

• Enterprise Research and Infrastructure Services
  • Provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of research computing infrastructure, including high-performance computing (HPC), data storage, and cloud-based research platforms;
  • Collaborates with OREI, faculty and research centers to support grant-funded initiatives and data-intensive research;
  • Ensures infrastructure supports secure, scalable, and high-performance environments for research and innovation;
  • Oversees strategic vendor relationships, licensing, and contract negotiations for enterprise infrastructure and clouds services;
  • Leads campus-wide technology modernization effort; and
  • Defines and monitors KPIs for enterprise infrastructure.

• Enterprise Architecture and Integrations Services
  • Provides executive leadership over IT programs and operations, creating an IT roadmap and coordinating hardware, software, and data needs;
  • Oversees development and implementation of IT strategy, including system integration, collaboration, and operational enhancements;
  • Guides procurement of IT assets and implementation of IT policies, standards, and procedures;
  • Leads the development and governance of enterprise architecture standards, ensuring consistency, scalability, and alignment with institutional goals;
  • Oversees integration services to ensure seamless data flow and interoperability across systems and platforms;
  • Champions API-first and modular architecture approaches to support agility and innovation;
  • Ensures architecture decisions support cybersecurity, data governance, and compliance requirements; and
  • Defines and monitor KPIs for enterprise architecture, and integration services.

• Enterprise Applications
  • Provides full accountability for the lifecycle management of enterprise applications, including student information systems (SIS), learning management systems (LMS), HR, finance, and CRM platforms;
  • Leads application modernization efforts, ensuring systems are secure, interoperable, and user-centric;
  • Collaborates with CXO and functional units to ensure applications meet evolving business and academic needs;
  • Oversees vendor relationships, licensing, and contract negotiations for enterprise platforms; and
  • Defines and monitors KPIs for enterprise systems and application services. 

Strategic Analysis & Planning

• Drives creative methods to manage and enhance technical resources, enabling opportunities to advance the ITS strategic plan;
• Develops and manages budgets for enterprise systems and infrastructure;
• Evaluates and optimizes vendor contracts and technology investments;
• Develops and executes a forward-looking technology strategy that supports the university’s academic, research, and operational missions;
• Serves as a thought leader in digital transformation, innovation, and modernization of IT services;
• Aligns enterprise technology initiatives with institutional priorities and strategic plans;
• Leads modernization of processes and procedures, ensuring efficient use of support technologies. Collaborates with unit leadership to develop and maintain flexible dashboards that guide business decisions;
• Ensures infrastructure and business processes foster a culture of excellence and innovation among faculty and staff, while pursuing efficiencies and reducing administrative burden;
• Serves as a key liaison between IT and academic, research, and administrative units;
• Communicates technology strategies and decisions clearly to diverse audiences;
• Engages with faculty, staff, and students to understand needs and improve service delivery; and
• Ensures all technology solutions meet accessibility standards and support inclusive environments (i.e 508, etc). 

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Extensive progressive leadership experience in enterprise IT, preferably in higher education or public sector (typically ten or more years);
• Considerable senior leadership experience in IT organization; serving in roles directly supporting CIO or equivalent (typically three or more years);
• Proven success in leading large-scale infrastructure and digital transformation initiatives;
• Demonstrated experience building effective teams and overseeing diverse professional staff and vendors;
• Deep understanding of infrastructure, cloud platforms, networking, and systems integration;
• Deep understanding of cloud computing, cybersecurity, data governance, and emerging technologies;
• Knowledge of frameworks like NIST, FERPA, HIPAA, and best practices in risk management;
• Expertise in AI, machine learning, automation, and data analytics;
• In-depth knowledge of enterprise applications such as ERP (e.g., Banner), CRM (e.g., Salesforce), LMS (e.g., Canvas), collaboration tools (e.g., Microsoft 365, Google Workspace), and data platforms (e.g., Tableau, Power BI;
• Deep understanding of dev ops, agile and process improvement methodologies (e.g., Six Sigma Green Belt or higher preferred), change management, and communications strategies;
• Understanding of strategic planning, budgeting, and performance metrics in large organizations;
• Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills;
• Exemplary communication skills (both written and oral), especially when engaging with stakeholders of varying financial acumen;
• Skilled in developing and leading comprehensive communication and marketing strategies that support organizational goals;
• Strong critical thinking and decision-making skills;
• Ability to think strategically to ensure technology operations aligns to university strategic goals, yet able to execute at an operational level to delegate and manage tactical activities across a large team;
• Ability to develop and implement long-term technology strategies aligned with institutional goals;
• Ability to design and implement systems that ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional financial rules;
• Ability to foster a culture of accountability, equity, and continuous improvement;
• Ability to operate simultaneously in both executive and staff capacities, as needed;
• Demonstrated ability to interface effectively at the executive level;
• Demonstrated ability to promote a team-oriented approach to finance and administration functions; and
• Ability to function independently and manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field;
• Certified Information Technology Manager (CITM);
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect or Microsoft Azure Architect Expert;
• Considerable senior leadership experience in higher education or public sector (typically three or more years);
• Knowledge and experience in higher education technology ecosystems, including familiarity with academic technologies, research computing, and student information systems;
• Successful experience in managing and resolving conflict, building consensus, and making sound judgments in a complex environment; and
• Experience in digital strategy, implementation, and process improvement.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter with Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: October 22, 2025

Posting Close Date: November 5, 2025

Open Until Filled:  No